Apparatus for blasting



Nov. 26, 1935. V J. w. sANFQRD 2,021,898'

APPARATUS FOR BLASTING Filed June 30, 1953 y; 1 www Patented Nov. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR BLASTING John W. Sanford, Claremont, N. H., assignor to Sullivan Machinery Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 30, 19,33, Serial No. 678,435

-13 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for blasting, and more particularly to improvements in apparatus for blasting in submarine drilling operations.

In submarine drilling operations it is desirable,

after completion of a submarine drill hole, to-

wash out the muddy material at the bottom of the hole prior to Within the hole.

the insertion the insertion of the blasting chargev This is usually accomplished by of a wash pipe Within the hole for conducting water under high pressure to the bottom of the hole to clean outthe material at the bottom of the hole so that the loading tube can be inserted.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus combining the washing tube with the loading tube so that when the loading tube is lowered into the drill hole, the latter is simultaneously washed cleanto permit insertion of the blasting charge within the bottom of the hole. A further Objectis to providel combined Washing and loading tubes of an improved construction. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

In this drawing,- Fig. l is a longitudinal marine drill hole showing the washing ing tubes in section through a suband loadposition therein during lowering of a blasting charge.

view similar. to Fig. 1 showing the blasting charge partially removed from the loading tube, the tion.

loading tube being shown in eleva- Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the drill hole showing the therein.

blasting charge in position er ends of the tubes.

tubes serves t arcuate passage is open at the bottom,

The space between the water, and since this the 'wash o conduct wash water may be discharged downwardly therefrom. A wooden plug 6 having a conical lower end 1 is pressed within the lower end of the loading tube 2 where a loa d or charge is to be placed. Within the loading tube 2 above the bottom plug 6 are placed a number of large sticks of dynamite 8, while engaging the upper end of the dynamite sticks is a wooden piston or plunger 9. This piston 9 is slidable within the bore of the loading 5 tube 2 and is suitable attached at Il! to the lower end of an actuating rod Il extending centrally through the loading tube to a point above the water level. An igniter l2 for the dynamite sticks has connected thereto blasting wires I5 ex- 10 tending through the longitudinal slot 5 formed in the lower ends of the concentric wash water and loading tubes, and these wires extend upwardly along the wash water tube to a point above the water level.

In Fig. l ofl the drawing, the blasting apparatus is shown in position in the drill hole, and

as vthe apparatus is loweredwithin the hole, the

tapered end 'l of the bottom plug 6 tends to guide and centralize the tubes. As the apparatus is lowered within thedrill hole, water under pressure is pumped down through the space between the loading tube 2 and the outer wash water tube 3, and the muddy material lling the bottom of the drill hole is washed upwardly around the outer tube and from the hole. When the water and loading tube str cture reaches the bottom of the hole, the was water may be turned off and then, with the plunger 9 held stationary by the rod IIA, the wash water and loading tube structure may be moved upwardly relative to the plunger to release the dynamite from the loading tube. The longitudinal slot 5 in the lower en'ds of the tubes permits freeing of the igniter wires from the loading tube as the latter is withdrawn upwardly. After the water and loading tubestructure has been withdrawn, a tamping operation may be resorted to if the nature of the charge permits and it is found desirable, although tamping is, under most conditions, unnecessary. 40 It will be` evident that, if desired, instead of conducting the wash water down-through the space between the inner and outer tubes, the wash water may be pumped down through the drill hole between the walls of the hole and the outer wash water tube 3 to the bottom of the drill hole, and the muddy material at the bottom of the hole may ilow from the hole upwardly through the space between the ,inner and outer tubes. Under certain conditions, it is possible to lower the tubes and the blasting charge to a position somewhat above the bottom of the hole, and thereafter force the plunger 9 downwardly relative to the tube structure to press the blasting charge down through soft-mud in the hole to Y* Y the bottom of the latter. It will sun further be noted that the wooden plug 6 and the dynamite sticks 8 may be enclosed in a separate metal cover or otherwise connected together to form a unitary structure.

As result of this invention it will be noted that an improved apparatus for blasting in submarine drilling operations is provided wherein the means for washing the drill hole and for lowering the blasting charge into the drill hole ,are combined into a single unitary structure,

' described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to-secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a blasting apparatus, a loading tube, a concentric wash water tube, said loading tube extending through said wash water tube, and a blasting charge carried within the lower end of the loading tube.

2. In a blasting apparatus, a loading tube, a concentric wash Water tube, said loading tube arranged centrally within said wash water tube, a blasting charge carried within the lower end of the loading tube, and a plunger extending down ,through the loading tube for forcing the blasting charge from the loading tube.

3. An apparatus for blasting comprising concentric inner and outerl'loading and wash water tubes, a blasting charge arranged within said inner tube, and means extending downwardly through said inner tube for forcing the blasting charge through the bottom of the inner tube.

4. An apparatus for blasting comprising concentric respectively inner and outer loading and wash water tubes, spaced plugs arranged within the loading tube and surrounded by the wash water tube, and dynamite sticks arranged within the loadingftube between said plugs, and means arranged within said loading tube for forcing said dynamite sticks from the loading tube.

5. An apparatus for blasting comprising concentric respectively inner and outer loading and wash water tubes, spaced top and bottom plugs arranged within the loading tube and surrounded by the wash water tube, and dynamite sticks arrang-ed within the loading tube between said plugs, and means extending through said loading tube and engaging the upper plug for forcing the dynamite sticks and bottom plug through the bottom of the loading tube.

6. In a blasting apparatus, an outer wash water tube, an inner loading tube arranged centrally within said wash water tube, said tubes being united at their lower ends and cooperating to form a longitudinal slot extending through the bottom; of the tubes, a dynamite charge arranged within said inner loading tube and having ,an igniter, and blasting wires extending through said slot.

7. In a blastingv apparatus, an outer wash water tube, an inner loading tube arranged centrally 5 within said wash water tube, said tubes being united at their lower ends and cooperating to form a longitudinal slot extending through the bottom of the tubes, a dynamite charge arranged Within said inner loading tube and having an 10 igniter and blasting wires extending through said slot, and means arranged within said loading tube for forcing said blasting charge through the bottom of the loading tube, said slot permitting said blasting wires to move freely with the blast- 15 ing charge from the tubes.

8. In a blasting apparatus, an inner loading tube carrying a blasting charge, means surrounding said loading tube for conducting wash Water to the drill hole during lowering of the loading 20 tube within the drill hole and removable from said hole prior to blasting, and means for removing the blasting charge from the loading tube after the latter has been lowered into the hole.

9. In a blasting apparatus, a loading tube carv25 rying a blasting charge, and means surrounding said loading tube for conducting wash water from the drill hole during lowering of the blasting charge therein and removable from said hole prior to blasting.

10. In a blasting apparatus, an inner loading tube carrying a blasting charge, and means surrounding said loading tube for conducting wash water to the drill hole during lowering of the blasting charge therein, said loading tube and 35 Wash water conducting means being simultaneously removable from the drill hole subsequent to thevremoval of the blasting charge from the loading tube.

11. In a blasting apparatus, concentric wash 40 water conducting and loading tubes cooperating with a drilled hole to form a series of substantially concentric wash Water and loading tube passages including a plurality of wash Vwater conducting passages encircling a loading tube 45 passage, an explosive charge in the inner, loading tube passage; said outerv passages providing for oppositely moving columns of fresh andl burdened wash water, and means for effecting release of the explosive charge from the inner, loading tube passage when at the bottom of a drilled hole.

12. In a blasting apparatus, a combined wash water and loading tube arrangement comprising concentric tubes forming between their walls a wash water passage and providing Within the inner wall a chamber for a blasting charge.

13. In a blasting apparatus, a loading tube for receiving an explosive charge and having a. slotted wall, means reciprocable in said loading tube 50 for dislodging an explosive charge therefrom, said slotted wall receiving in the slot therein an igniting device leading to the explosive charge in said tube, and means removable from the o5 blast hole prior to blasting and cooperating with said slotted wall, while leaving the slot therein unobstructed, to provide an arcuate external wash water passage extending longitudinallyV of said loading tube and through which wash water is conducted between the top and bottom of the blast hole.

JOHN W. SANFORD. 

